1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to the processing of fruit into fruit juice, and more particularly to a one-site facility within which substantially all of the equipment and steps of fruit processing are housed.
2. Prior Art
The industry and technology of processing fruit into concentrates and blended juices includes well-known individual steps and equipment for accomplishing each of the stages or steps in the fruit processing chain of events. Moreover, the fruit processing industry has evolved into having only portions of the entire process being accomplished at a single location.
That is to say that one entity may harvest the fruit and deliver same to another facility which accomplishes a portion of the overall steps toward the shipment of a concentrate or the packaging and shipment of preselected blended juices. Typically, after the fruit has been partially processed, it is shipped to yet another location for further processing, purification, filtration, containerizing the partially processed fruit juice for shipment to a final destination which may then accomplish the blending and final packaging for consumer consumption.
Armed with substantial experience and expertise, applicant's are unaware of any prior art facility or processing in this industry which is substantially self-sufficient in that all of the steps of fruit handling from receiving the raw fruit to the packaging and shipment of juice concentrates and blended juices for direct human consumption are completed therein.
One of the features of the present invention is that it provides an automatic control production chain from receiving fruit shipments to packaging all concentrates and blends at a single location and within one plant facility structure. The present invention also enables a manufacturer to produce final fruit juice products under a complete and controlled aseptic environment which begins at the point where the fruit juice itself is filtered in preparation for evaporation and continuing until the final packaging of either the concentrate or the blended fruit juices is accomplished.
By providing a single plant facility, selected and quality controlled juice concentrates and blended fruit juices may be dealt with commercially based upon a single all inclusive purchase order from customers of juice products produced within the present invention. Additionally, the present invention offers a substantially wider range of final juice products for distribution such as fruit juice concentrates either packed in bulk or for consumer use, blended juices, both concentrated and ready for consumption, along with single strength fruit juices packaged in a wide variety of commercial containers. All this is accomplished automatically within the one-site facility of the present invention to satisfy the broadest range of purchase order variety and at considerably less expense and in the shortest and quickest deliver times yet seen in this industry.